Windowed merchandise container



Feb. 6, 1934. c/A. l.. STEPHENS '@99455792 WINDOWED MERCHANDISE CONTAINER Filed Aug. 8. 1932 J A'ITORN S Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES WINDOWED MERCHANDISE CONTAINER Application August 8, 1932. Serial No. 627,824

4 Claims. (Cl. 20G-44) This invention relates to improvements 'in windowed containers lfor merchandise, and, although of general application, is especially adapted for use in packing toilet powder and other highly comminuted materials for sale and distribution. It is also especially adapted for use in packing merchandise of any class as to which purchasers may be expected to be fastidious or at least unusually discriminative.

It is an object of the invention toprovide a container of the above-described character comprising an enclosure within which the merchandise may be sealed or otherwise confined, at least v a portion of the enclosure being made of transparent material which may be readily cut, torn, punctured -or otherwise destroyed to afford access to the contents, and to provide said enclosure with a protective coveringvelement of which at least a portion is also made of transparent material overlying in part or at least, coincident with a portion ofthe transparent material of the enclosure, so that the merchandise in the container may be inspected without removing or otherwise disturbing the outer protective cover.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a container of the above-described character, the protective covering element of which may be removed in order to open the protected part of the enclosure to gain access to the merchandise, the protective covering being capable of being re-applied to the enclosure and the transparent portion of the covering serving as a means through which the contents of the container may be visible until exhausted.

The invention may be embodied in many forms, but in its preferred form may comprise a box having a removable cover provided with a winn dow of transparent material and an inner closing element by means of which powder may be sealed in the box independently of the cover, the inner closing element also having a Window of transparent material at least a portion of which underlies the window in the cover so that the powder in the box may be inspected through the superimposed portions of the two windows without lifting the cover from the box.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred forms of the invention- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the invention in the form of a box having its protective cover applied. Y

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the box illustrated in Fig. 1, the protective cover being indicated as having been lifted.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the box illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a box embodying the invention in modified form.

The invention as illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 B0 comprises a box which may be constructed of heavy cardboard or any other appropriate material, said box having a bottom portion 20, a removable cover or top portion 21 and an inner merchandise enclosure represented in general 05 by the reference character 22.

' As best illustrated in Fig. 3, the enclosure 22 may comprise an extension for the bottom of the box having a portion 23 extending within and lining its sides and ends, a portion 24 ex- 70 tending above the top of the box bottom,- and a portion 25 partly closing the top of the extension.

'I'he extension 23, 24, 25 may be lined with "Cel1ophane or other transparent material 26, 75 having a portion 27 exposed within an opening or window 28 in the top of the extension 23, 24, 25.

The box bottom 20, the extension 23, 24, 25. and the lining 26, 27, may be secured together in any appropriate manner as by the use of cement or other adhesive material.

As a convenient means of filling the container with toilet powder or other merchandise, the box may be provided with an opening 29 in its bot- 35 tom which may be closed, after the box has been filled, by the insertion of a disk of cardboard or other .suitable material 30, and'the package may, if desired, be thoroughly sealed by cementing a A layer of parchment or other relatively impervious material 31 to the bottom of the box, of a size such as to extend beyond the margins of the disk 30.

A window 32 in the box top` 21 and closed by means of .Cellophane or other suitable transparent material 33 should be so positioned that at least a part of the window 32 will overlie a. partof the window 28 so as to permit the contents of the box to be readily inspected through the superimposed parts of the two windows with- 4100 out removing or even lifting the cover 21 from its normal closed position with respect to the box bottom 20.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing are intended toAbe diagrammatic or conventional, and the del tails of box construction included in the description thereof constitute no part of the invention, the important features of which reside in the merchandise container having atleast a portion made Q. transparent material and the protective covering element also having a portion made of transparent material overlying the transparent material of `the container, so that the enclosed merchandise may be viewed without disassembling or disturbing the relative positions of the parts of the complete package.

It Will be apparent that the invention may be embodied in various forms of packages widely diering in detailed form and construction as well as with respect to the relative sizes and locations of the windows. One such modiiied form of container embodying the invention as illustrated in cross-section by Fig. 4 comprises a box having a bottom 34 and upwardly-extending sides 35, within which may be packed a container of merchandise 36 enclosed in cellophane or other transparent material 3'7, and the package of material 36, 37 may be covered and protected by a box cover 38 of glass, celluloid or other relatively rigid transparent material, so that the merchandise 36 may be exposed to view'throughout the entire top of the container through the transparent material 3'? and transparent box top 38.

When toilet powder or other merchandise is packed for sale and distribution in boxes or other containers embodying the invention, the parts of the container may be sealed together so that they can not be opened without breaking the seal; yet the contained merchandise may be readily inspected from the time when it is packed by the manufacturer or distributor to the time when it is purchased by the ultimate consumer. After the container of merchandise has been purchased by the consumer the seal which may comprise the commonly required revenue stamps, not shown, may be broken and the protective cover removed. The inner covering element may then be opened in any appropriate manner, as by tearing out the transparent material of the inner window, after which the windowed protective cover may be replaced. This window affords a means whereby the user may readily view the contents of the box until it is empty. 1f boxes containing two or more shades of toilet powder are on a dressing-table for use as required, the particular shade desired at any time may be selected without removing the covers from the boxes.'

The double windowed container is of importance in that toilet powder or similar highly comminuted material may be securely sealed in the bottom of the container by the inner windowed covering element in such manner that it will not escape during transportation and the handling of the goods, by the retailer, and the box may continue to function as a windowed container after it has been opened, the window in the protective cover still serving as a means of viewing Vthe powder in the box until it is empty.

The invention is not intended to be limited to either of the forms herein selected and disclosed for purposes of illustration, but should be regarded as covering modifications and variations thereof within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an individual sales package comprising an opaque, completely closed and sealed container of merchandise of a class as to which purchasers may be expected to be fastidious or at least unusually discriminative, and a removable, opaque cover fastened thereto, the combination, with a relatively large dispensing window in the container, closed by transparent material which may be readily destroyed to afford access to the contents, of a relatively small window in the cover in coincidence with a portion of the window of the container and also closed by transparent material.

2. A container comprising, in combination, a box constructed of non-transparent material, a xed covering completely closing the top of the box and serving as a means whereby merchandise may be sealed therein, the covering of the box consisting, in part at least, of transparent material capable of being readily destroyed to aiord access to the interior, and an outer removable non-transparent cover fitted over the top of the box and having in its top a window closed by transparent material, portions at least of the transparent material of the outer cover and the inner covering .being coincident when the parts of the container are assembled whereby merchandise in the box may be inspected through the window Without 1' 4. A container, as defined by claim 2, of which the box and its -outer cover are sealed together but are separable on breaking the seal.

CHARLES A. L. STEPHENS. 

